Obama backs Turkey's EU accession...

[Fortis]

US President Barack Obama has arrived in Turkey on a two-day visit, after giving his support to Ankara's efforts to join the European Union.

He said Turkey's accession to the EU would send an important signal to the Muslim world and firmly anchor the country in Europe.

But French President Nicolas Sarkozy said it was up to the EU itself to decide who joined the bloc.

Correspondents say security is extremely tight for Mr Obama's visit.

Snipers and riot police have been deployed and military aircraft are patrolling a no-fly zone over Ankara, AP news agency reported.

Almost 9,000 police will be deployed for Mr Obama's visit to Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, which begins late on Monday.

Several small groups have been holding anti-US demonstrations in both cities, the AP said.

The visit is Mr Obama's first to a majority Muslim country as president, and only his second purely bilateral visit after Canada.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Ankara says the fact that he chose to come to Turkey so early has been welcomed as a sign that he wants to re-engage with it.

Public support for the US dropped to a record low during the Bush administration, fuelled mostly by fierce opposition to the invasion of Iraq, she says.

Speaking in Prague earlier on Sunday, Mr Obama said Turkey's entry into the EU would help to consolidate its position as a Western nation.

"The United States and Europe must approach Muslims as our friends, neighbours and partners in fighting injustice, intolerance and violence, forging a relationship based on mutual respect and mutual interest," he said.

"Moving forward towards Turkish membership in the EU would be an important signal of your commitment to this agenda and ensure that we continue to anchor Turkey firmly in Europe."

But Mr Sarkozy said he had always been opposed to Turkey's EU entry.

"I have been working hand-in-hand with President Obama but when it comes to the European Union it's up to member states of the European Union to decide," he told French TV.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while close links with Turkey were important, its future status in Europe was still open for discussion.

The EU agreed to open accession talks with Ankara in 2004, but in recent years, correspondents say, Turkey has made little progress with democratic reforms which would improve its chances of membership.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984762.stm

Quelle surprise! 

[Dr. Yisrael]

If we let turkey, Germany will become Germistan. Morrocons are in Holland and Sweden, Pakis are in Britian and Norway, and Turks are in Germany. I suspect at least 2 millions turks will move to germany within three years of turkeys introduction in the EU. What can they contribute to us?

Oil? No
Gas? No
Military? It's forces are poorly trained compared to Greece, But It is a vital point geography wise. It connects Europe with Asia, and the Arab peninsular. Also Oil can be transported from the Azerbaijan and the Caspian sea.

There are ups, and down to Turkey and the EU. Never the less. TURKEY [censored] OFF

[Adrian Wainer]

Well,l I would like to see Turkey in the Europe Union. The problem is that why I would like to see Turkey in the European Union and why the elites in Europe would like to see Turkey in the European Union are two different things. I would like to see Turkey in the European Union because it is a secular European State. The elites in Europe would to see Turkey in the European Union, so they could dismantle the safeguards in Turkish society against the the threat of Islamofascism and kill two birds with one stone in destroying Turkey as a secular state and replacing it with an Islamic State and flooding Europe with Turks who are by that stage, ( after the European Union has destroyed the Turkish Secular State ), radicalized in favor of Islamofascism. Since the European elites run the EU, having Turkey in the European Union is a good idea in theory but a terrible idea in practice. Obama should bugger off back to Chicago and mind his own business. Here is the Guy that, spent twenty something years as a member of the Reverend Wright's Church, took him as mentor and at the same time apparently didn't hear or understand what he was saying, presumably Obama's Turkish is better than his English, or else he just a fraud, that one can not believe a single word he says?





Best and Warm Regards
Adrian Wainer

[Mehmetce]

As I posted in other threads,Turkey is not going to be a member of the EU and everybody knows it.
I really can't understand how can it be a controversial topic as it is a country which has the 99% muslim majority.It's just a chess game Turkish and EU politicians play each other.